Reconciliation and Regret
by Phemon13
Summary: Aeris finally snaps. Leo has finally taken her off the deep end. But what repressed emotions begin to surface afterward? Leo x Aeris romance. Don't forget to R&R!


I do not own anything but the ideas.

Aeris was furious.

She was as mad as COD cannon fodder at times but this is was serious. She. was. **infuriated. **It's as if all of the fans of Aeris (from FF7, mind you) compliled their rage for Sephiroth into tangible liquid rage and injected it into her.

Her feelings right now reflect my feelings for Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2 after certain... rage-inducing events (no spoilers here!)

I will not go into detail of the previous events that made Aeris become like this. All I will say is that it includes: A certain grey feline with an IQ in the single digits (whom currently is cowering behind their sofa); a... graphic story of Auron and Tidus'... 'adventures' (which presently is still unfinished, and is currently on Aeris' laptop which was quite forcibly shut); said author of the questionable material, aptly named the Pink Powerhouse of Toronto (whom currently is restraining herself from neutering her friend on the spot); and a snide comment about said story relating it to a certain disappointing game with the initials DN:F (speaker of said comment, as previously stated, is attempting to blend with said leather sofa, even though his grey fur contrasts horribly with it). All in all, you're lucky I started this story now otherwise it would be rated: not suitable for ALL audiences. But anyway, on with the story...

She's also on her period, which doesn't help

"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU LEO!" Aeris screams at the top of her rage-induced lungs

"But Ae-"

"DON'T YOU 'BUT AERIS'' ME! YOU'VE MADE SOME IDIOTIC AND INSANELY STUPID COMMENTS BUT THIS JUST TAKES THE CAKE!" She continues advancing on the frightened feline.

"But the cake is a l-" *WHAM* Leo (stupidly) attempts to squeeze in one more joke but is interrupted by a pink fist connecting with his cheek.

"THIS IS THE LAST STRAW LEO! I HAVE SURVIVED YOUR BULLSHIT FOR 12 YEARS AND I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" She continues to yell as she drags him to the door of their apartment, flinging it open, revealing a quite chilly Toronto. "OUT." Aeris demands

"I-"

"I SAID OUT." She orders, looking daggers into her former roommate/best friend.

He knew he did it. He finally screwed the pooch. He made Aeris go off the deep end. There was no turning back. There's no save file. There's no respawning. He screwed up. BIG TIME. Silently, dejectedly, he shuffles out his former apartment, hearing the abrupt slam of the door behind him. And there was nothing he could do.

As he walks down the bustling streets of downtown Toronto, Leo has time to think to himself "_How could I screw up the one relationship I cherished and treasured for so long? My friendship with Aeris?"_

He and Aeris knew each other since kittenhood. Though they didn't converse until that fateful day...

_It was a normal day at Run-of-the-Mill Middle School. And a certain pink-haired kitten was bringing her books to her locker when..._

_*WHAM*_

_"What the hell, Snake! You big jerk!" Aeris yells at the perpetrator, a 'mercenary' clad in camouflage _

_"In battle, one must always be prepared for-" "ALARM!" An unknown voice suddenly yells, making Snake hide in a nearby locker which gets subsequently locked_

_"Hahah! Falls for it every time. Oh, hi! I didn't see you there. Snake was picking on you, right?" The unknown boy asks_

_"Yes…" _

_"Well, that'll stop him for a while. By the way, my name's Leo." _

_"Mine… is Aeris." she answers back shyly_

_"Nice to meet ya! Well, I gotta go. Bell's about to ring. See ya!"_

_"Bye..." Aeris almost inaudibly whispers before turning and walking back, blushing_

"Man, she was cute back then..." Leo remembers "Less noisy. Though she is cute now... When she's not mad!" Despite being a feline punching bag, and always getting the short end of the stick in most of their arguements, Leo's atrraction for that feisty feline has easily surpassed body lust. He wholly loves Aeris Cole. And her permanently kicking him out won't change anything. "Now, what to do..."

Coincidentally, the same Aeris Cole is thinking about the same memory, one she holds closely. She gave herself time to cool off, after completely murdering her opponents in FFA on COD (her score was 30-0, typical for her usual rampages). And, like other times, she has begun to feel guilt. Of course, she doesn't show this to anyone. She expresses it deep inside her locked room, away from society and most important Leo. Even though they both know that Leo is the sole fault this time, Aeris can't help but a have a soft spot in her heart for that idiotic furball. Back in her subconscious, she has been harboring feelings for him since that fateful day, and only recently have they been able to surface. But guilt still overrides her.

"Fucking Period" Aeris mutters, cursing her menstrual cycle instead of herself. "Leo's probably going to come back eventually, apologize 10-15 times, then we're gonna be happy and play some Gears Of War or something" Aeris optimistically thinks "And maybe someday, I'll tell him the truth..." she wonders as she continues on Auron and Tidus' 'fun time'.

This time however, is not normal.

~~~~extremely long harp chord to signify passing of time~~~~

It has been three days since Leo's 'eviction', and for once, Aeris is worried. She starts sifting through different places he could be: He can't be at any of their friends' houses because they always go out, he can't call them because Aeris found his cellphone and it's dead anyway, and his parents are in England. She starts pacing nervously thinking of _anywhere_ he could be but then it dawns on her. Immediately she puts on her coat, locks the front door and heads to the one place Leo could be: Gameshop.

"Are you sure?" she asks the clerk

"I told you Madam: I have not seen any dejected looking grey cats around here! Now can you please move it so I can close up?" he asks, annoyed at Aeris' pushiness

That's it. The last clue to Leo. And it was a dead end too. Aeris is on the verge of tears and almost calls the Missing Persons hotline when she hears the one thing that could only mean Leo. A faint ringing of a bell down a dark alleyway beside Gameshop.

As Aeris follows the sound, she also picks up the murmurs of two unknown persons

"Is he dead?"

"I dunno. He's too clean to be a hobo. Who the fuck wears a bell anyways?"

"Who knows. How you suppose he got here?

"He probably got ditched by his girlfriend!" *laughter*

"Nuuh, fukof'" Leo mumbles

"Oh hell he spoke! Whatever, let's steal his clothes and leave him to freeze!"

That set Aeris off. No sooner had he said that the two delinquents were set face to face with the one and only Pink Powerhouse of Toronto, and a pissed off one too.

**FIGHT!**

3 seconds later

**DOUBLE FATALITY!**

The amount of guilt felt by Aeris reaches an all time high as she approaches the body of her love intrest. The barely conscious Leo lay sprawled across the alleyway floor with his head up against the wall. It's obvious he had been there a while because snow has accumulated on top of him. The most surprising part is that he is awake, and _smiling_ at Aeris!

"Hey... Aeris..." Leo greets with a hoarse voice

"Oh god Leo," Aeris says as she checks to see if all his body part are still there

"Am I... Dreaming?" He asks groggily

"What? No of course not!" She replies staring at his almost colorless face

"Heh... To think... That I'd meet... my one true... friend... right before I die..."

"Wha- NO! Oh no you won't! You're coming home with me!" Aeris demands while attempting to move Leo, whose body seems as heavy as lead.

"Hey Aeris? You know... I was always rooting for you..."

"Oh Leo..."

"And Aeris?.. I want you to know... I've always L-" Leo attempts to say before passing out.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he was about to say, especially for Aeris. Now, with this realization of the millennium fueling her determination and the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Aeris picks up her unconscious best friend and marches right down the street back to their apartment, not noticing the strange stares she gets.

We come back to the story some time later at the apartment: There's an unconscious grey feline in his insulated-by-hot-water-bottle bed; Aeris' laptop is open on the webpage: "10 best ways to cure frostbite/food deprivation", on the kitchen counter; and a very worried pink cat is making a soup fit for a king (or in this case, a bed-ridden idiot/love intrest). She is worrying quite heavily on two things: first, of course, the overall health of her feline friend, and secondly how she will answer him **if ***shudders* he awakes. To ensure nothing bad happens to him, she stays by his side the whole time: browsing on her laptop, playing Xbox, PSP, even sleeping on a chair she placed by his bedside, until.

The next morning, Aeris is quietly awakened by someone playing with a lock if her hair... Wait...

Her eyes snap open, finding her face to face with the stupid idiot that has been causing here all this greif, who seems healthy, abeit not very awake.

"Good Morning Aeris." He greets oblivious to her turmoil.

Relief washing over her like a warm shower, the only thing Aeris could think of is pouncing her best friend into a long and very demanding hug. "YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU?"

Being hit by a fluffy mass such as Aeris could only surprise Leo with shock. "A-aeris?" he could only stammer.

Their embrace only lasted a couple seconds before Aeris suddenly releases, and walks away yelling "Now sit tight while I reheat your soup!" a blush prominent on her cheeks "_Crap why'd I do that_?"

"Okay..." Leo answers, still flabbergasted by her behaviour "_Soup? What the heck happened to make her that worried?"_

Aeris brings back the delicious-smelling soup, warning "Careful, it's hot" as she hands it to Leo

"Thanks" He thanks before comically burning his tongue, obviously not waiting to cool down, which Aeris chuckles at

"So Leo... do you remember anything?" Aeris asks him after he finishes his soup.

"Well, I remember you yelling and kicking me out, but nothing after that." he recalls "Why? Do I disappear for a couple days, then pass out near a Gameshop?" He jokes before seeing Aeris' stern expression "Wait, seriously?"

Aeris nods "And I can't believe it was all because of a stupid remark..." she belittles herself

"Hey it's okay, we're both fine right?" Leo consoles

"BUT MY ATTITUDE ISN'T!" Aeris suddenly yells, startling Leo

"Aeris..."

"All I do is wail on you and you just take it!" Aeris continues, her emotional walls beginning to crumble

"But that's what friends do right?"

"No that's what a punching bag does!" Aeris cries

"Hey, c'mon Aeris, Even I think the remark was pretty stupid..."

"BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TO OVERREACT SO MUCH THAT YOU ALMOST DIED IN AN ALLEYWAY!" She yells, unable to stop her repressed emotions

"Aeris,"

"I'VE BEEN SUCH A CRAP FRIEND TO YOU AN-"

"AERIS CALM DOWN" he interrupts, sitting her back down on her chair

"Bu-" she retorts but gets cut off

"Aeris listen to me. You are my best friend. My only _true_ friend. We've known each other for 12 years and it's still going. If I suddenly got tired of your temper and left, that wouldn't be a very good best friend would it?" He consoles, a smile playing on his lips

"But I'm so-"

"Just drop it Aeris. You're my best friend. My significant other. And I wouldn't trade you for the world." he answers wholeheartedly, staring into Aeris' blue eyes. "In fact, you're more than a friend to me." he confesses

"I know." Aeris answers, resulting in Leo's eyes bulging

"R-really?" he asks worried of Aeris' answer

"Yeah. You said it right before you passed out in the alleyway, though I only heard the start..." she confesses blushing

"O-oh okay..."

"But, can I hear the whole thing?" Aeris ask nervoisly

"W-what?"

"Can I?"

"W-well..." he stammers, unable to unveil his deepest secret

"Please?" She asks, hope in her eyes

"W-well, A-aeris Cole?" he nervously begins

"Yes?" She says, inching closer to Leo

"I... I... AERIS COLE, I-" is all he can utter before Aeris' lips claim his in a somewhat forceful but heated passion. Most people's first kiss is usually awkward and uncomfortable, but this one wasn't. This was all they ever dreamed of. Mutual Love. Sadly, carbon-based life forms do need their oxygen, so they part a few seconds later.

"Sorry, but I wanted to say it first. I love you Leo Leonardo the 3rd. I always have." She confesses with a sheepish grin that has that good old mischievous gleam she always wears.

"I love you too Aeris Cole." he rallies pulling her into another kiss.

"I know."

"Hey Aeris? Why me of all people?" Leo asks, still puzzled why someone as wonderful as her would love him

"Well, to tell you the truth, you're the most sweetest and caring guy I've ever met. When, of course, you're not acting like a complete dumbass." She grins at him and smacks his head lightly. "Plus we are both obsessed with videogames. I still love you through. That brings me to my question: Why me? Why would you choose such a ruthless bitch? The Pink Powerhouse of Toronto?" Strangely, it seems as if Leo was ready for this.

"Well, including the videogames, I still think that where you see a ruthless bitch, I see your true form: a sweet, caring, beautiful person. You may be mad at some times, but those times are mostly my fault and it's just you keeping down those repressed emotions. Plus I've loved you since we were 6, how could I stop now?" he finishes, resulting in a beaming smile from Aeris

"Thanks"

"Anytime"

The rest of the day was in complete bliss. Wether it was playing videogames in co-op or solo, eating meals, or relaxing, nothing could ruin this moment of happiness for them. Later...

"Hey Leo?" Aeris asks her boyfriend from the bathroom while brushing her teeth

"Yeah Aeris?"

"You better get used to my temper soon..." she continues, walking to Leo's bed

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm going to be keeping you forever!" she explains as she pounces her boyfriend into the bed.

"Hey! I thought we're going to take this slow!" Leo panics, trying to keep his wild side at bay.

"Shut up, I want my big fluffy pillow tonight..." she says cuddling into Leo's chest

"... Would you like it for rent or Premium Membership?" he jokes

"Hmm, what does Premium entail?" she asks, following along

"You get unlimited usage on me daily and I promise to give the same back" he states, meaning every word.

"That sounds perfect. How much?"

"This." He states and pecks her lightly on on the lips, resulting in a huge smile from both of them

"I'll take it" she smiles snuggling close into Leo's chest. "Good night Pillow."

"Good night Pretty in Pink."

_**FIN.**_

OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD.

10 HOURS. 10 frigging straight hours. Know why? 4 hours down, finally finish it and open , try to open it and _it was saved in a .temp folder. __**fuck me.**_Took me the last 6 hours and a Monster drink to reconstruct it.

Anyways, first submission! Also, first Leo x Aeris one too. R&R everyone!

Sayanora.


End file.
